Friday, May 6, 2016

The last week has been a good one. Work has been busy but manageable, Kiddo is entering the home stretch before summer break, and Husband is taking small trips back and forth to San Diego, which gives us all a reprieve from the humdrum without the usual feelings that come with a long separation. I have fallen off the Whole30 wagon on occasion thanks to daily break room treats, but I've come to immediately recognize the ill effects of eating poorly. I'm definitely more tuned in than I used to be.

Yesterday I started the application process for grad school. Everything is done through a central website; creating an account and filling in those first sections felt exhilarating. Today, it's coffee shop camping while I focus on GRE prep.

Spring is certainly underway in the Pacific Northwest. Gone are the days of going to work and returning home in the dark. (Thank goodness.) The result is that I'm finding it easier to rise in the morning and I feel like I have more of a life in those few off hours. Frequent sun-shiny days also help in the mood department.

Here's a bit of what I've seen, heard and bookmarked over the last couple weeks:

I was introduced to sea beans at the Portland Farmers Market last weekend. I'm hooked! (The boys were a little less enthused.) (Also, Kiddo got his first fiddlehead fix since leaving New England.)

Looking to downsize to a single eyeshadow palette after tossing my stockpile of outdated/broken/unflattering makeup. I've been hearing about this one nearly nonstop lately. Have you tried it?

I stayed up late to finished this book last night. And while parts of the story line felt unpolished, I had been craving a juicy whodunit for some time. This totally fit the bill.

Doing a 180 and reading this parenting book next (in the throes of adolescence over here — insert wide-eyes emoji)

How I care for my clothing has changed dramatically over the past year. Minimizing my wardrobe has left me with a sparser closet, but the trade-off is owning high quality, much-loved pieces of clothing. This article explores that natural inclination to treat one's cherished duds more delicately.

My beloved Converse slip-ons are starting to wear out after about 10 faithful years. I decided it was time to start breaking in a new pair in preparation for their demise. These are a totally cute replacement, but have a long way to go before achieving that same soft flexibility and second-skin sensation. (I'm wearing them around the house, with socks, to start the process.)